The invention relates to the use of carotenoid oxidation products for improving the health of an animal.
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association's National Pet Owners Survey (NPOS), pets occupied 69 million U.S. households in 2006. This corresponds to 73 million dogs and 90 million cats. This number has increased from 2002 where 64 million households had pets. Furthermore, the State of the American Pet Survey revealed that 75% of pet owners state that their pet is a member of the family, and that maintaining optimal health is their top priority when caring for their pet.
Elderly pets often become frail in their last few years of life, often having a poor coat condition, digestive system problems, joint stiffness, energy loss, and/or reduced activity levels.
For example, the connective tissues of animals are constantly subject to stresses and strains from mechanical forces that can result in afflictions, such as arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis), joint inflammation and stiffness. This is particularly true as animals age. The underlying causes of rheumatoid arthritis and/or osteoarthritis are different such that rheumatoid arthritis is characterized as an autoimmune disease affecting both the joints and systemic immune functions, whereas osteoarthritis results from deterioration of the articular cartilage which may result in local inflammation of the joints. While a greater portion of humans with arthritis have rheumatoid arthritis, most of the arthritis occurring in companion animals is osteoarthritis. In dogs, osteoarthritis is a disorder of the synovial joints which is characterized by degeneration of the articular cartilage and by formation of new bone at the joint margins. Hardening of the underlying subchondral bone may also be a feature of osteoarthritis and in some cases, a variable degree of synovial inflammation may be present at some time during the progression of the disease. The selective breeding of companion and domestic animals has inadvertently led to the propagation of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such that twenty-percent of the canine population greater than one year old is reported to have some degree of arthritis.
There is a need for new methods and compositions for improving the health and well being of animals, such as increasing joint mobility, increasing activity, and improving coat quality.